


Getting To You In A Flash

by Marvelqueen14, meowitskatmofo



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: AU: Paramedics, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Car Accidents, Child Death, Did I mention the angst yet, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Mild Gore, Mild Smut, So much angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-17
Updated: 2018-05-22
Packaged: 2019-05-08 08:33:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14690367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marvelqueen14/pseuds/Marvelqueen14, https://archiveofourown.org/users/meowitskatmofo/pseuds/meowitskatmofo
Summary: Barry Allen is a freshly certified paramedic who receives a less than welcoming reception his first day on the job.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> flash _/flaSH/_ : (noun) a small amount of blood that appears in the hub of a needle or catheter signaling proper placement within the vein during venipuncture.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Punctuality had never been one of Barry Allen's virtues. He was compassionate and kind, qualities that led him from a young age to seek out a profession where he would be able to help people. He was outgoing and smart, attributes that allowed him to excel in school and pass all of his paramedic training on the first attempt. 

But punctual? Any sense of timing? 

Not so much. 

Today was his first day at his new job, working as a medic for the Central County EMS. He had been so nervous last night, and he hadn't been able to sleep well. He tossed and turned, his stomach jittering with excited energy. Before he knew it, sunlight was peeking in through his window, and he was staring at his alarm clock in confusion. 

It was blaring angrily at him, but the time had to be wrong. There was no way he had slept through almost twenty minutes of that annoying little bell ringing. He picked up his phone to confirm the time and to his horror, he had. 

He bolted up out of bed, throwing on his uniform and brushing his teeth. He didn't even realize he had put on socks that didn't match until he was in his car. One was white, but the other was a dull pink color from a being washed with a red t-shirt. 

There was nothing he could do about it now. He was already late as hell. 

He hauled butt down to the EMS station, drumming his fingers nervously along the steering wheel as he drove. 

Barry suddenly heard a deafening thump of metal and tires squealing, all the cars in front of him hitting their brakes. He quickly pulled off to the side, peering up ahead through his windshield. 

He could see two cars that had wrecked, a big truck that had run a stop sign and plowed right into a small sedan. 

Barry drummed his fingers faster, his heart starting to thump and adrenaline was flowing fast. He knew he should just call 911, let the crew handle it, but he couldn't sit idly by and do nothing. 

Not when he knew he could help. 

He put his car in park, shoving his keys in his pocket and racing to the scene. People had gotten out of their vehicles, several on their phones already and gawking at the mess, and Barry zipped by them, calling out, “Excuse me! Sorry! Coming through!” 

Barry scrambled to the truck, peering in the window. The driver appeared to be unconscious. He started to open the door, but it suddenly swung open, the driver hurling a beer bottle at him and hollering incoherently. 

Great, he was drunk. 

Barry grimaced at the smell of booze, holding up his hands as he soothed, “Sir, I’m here to help, I'm-” He yelped, dodging another beer bottle. “Okay! Never mind! You just hang out right there!” 

He fled from the drunk, moving over to the sedan. He could see the air bags had deployed, and the passenger side of the car was completely caved in. The driver appeared to be alone in the vehicle, his eyes open, but he was clearly dazed. 

“Sir,” Barry called out, lightly tapping the glass, “My name is Barry, I’m a paramedic. I'm here to help you.” 

The man looked confused, but nodded. 

Barry noted he seemed to be moving his neck well, his hands were fluttering around his head. Okay, probably no spinal injury, so far so good. He could hear sirens approaching, not sure if it was the police or first responders who would be arriving. 

“Stay calm, okay?” Barry said, offering a bright smile, opening the car door carefully and offering his hand. “Do you feel okay to move? Any tingling in your feet or your hands?” 

“N-no,” the man replied. “I'm just… my head hurts.” 

“That's okay!” Barry soothed, “I promise we’ll fix you right up!” 

The man looked faint, and that's when Barry noticed the bit of blood dripping from the side of his head. Might have hit his head on the steering wheel, maybe the side window. 

Before he could do any further assessment, an ambulance had pulled up. 

Central County EMS. 

Oh, crap. 

These were all his future co-workers for his job that he was spectacularly late for. 

Barry grinned sheepishly at the medics who jumped out to help, two of them chasing down the drunk who had stumbled off, the third coming right at Barry. He was about Barry’s age, a bit broader, and his uniform fit flawlessly. 

Oh, crap. 

This guy was hot. 

“Step aside, please,” the man said in a smooth drawl, dropping down his first aid kit and brushing Barry out of the way. 

Barry read his name tag, saying, “Snart? I'm Barry, Barry Allen-” 

“Little busy at the moment, Barry Allen,” Snart snapped. 

“I'm here to help, I'm your new teammate!” Barry protested, “I was supposed to start this morning-” 

“Didn't see you at roll call,” Snart bit back, guiding the injured man out of the car, quickly checking his vitals and pupil reactions with a small flashlight. 

“Yeah, I was running a little late, and-” 

“You're in my way,” Snart huffed, brushing Barry aside as he grabbed gauze from his kit to press against the wound on the man’s head. “Hold this,” he barked at him, the man blinking nervously at Snart’s harsh command. 

“Hey,” Barry soothed, reaching out to pat the man’s hand. He was shocked by how little compassion Snart seemed to have. “It's okay.” 

Behind them, a young man with long hair came running up, out of breath and panting, “So, drunkie ran off, and wow, he is fast!” 

“Cops will pick him up,” Snart said quickly, “Come on, Ramon. Help me get this patient ready to go. Head injury, possible concussion, he’ll need a scan-” 

“Wait, what?” the man stuttered. 

“It's okay,” Barry said quickly, “It’s just a precaution because you hit your head!” 

Ramon and Snart were bringing the stretcher over, Barry refusing to leave the man’s side. He gave him a reassuring smile, saying, “Really. You're gonna be fine.” 

Barry couldn't believe how rude Snart was being to the patient. The man was already hurt and scared. 

Ramon and Snart helped the man onto the stretcher, Snart grabbing the supplies to start an IV while Ramon got the bag of fluids ready. 

Barry gave the man another friendly smile as he stepped away to let them work, promising, “They're gonna take good care of you.” 

Snart was cursing, unable to get the IV started. 

Barry could see how uncomfortable the man was, and frowned. He looked at Ramon for guidance, wondering if he should step in. This was no way to treat a patient. 

Ramon shook his head quickly, cringing when the man cried out in pain. 

“Okay, that's enough,” Barry said as he grabbed a pair of gloves, demanding, "Let me try! I swear, I'm good at this-" 

"Fine. Do it," Snart spat impatiently, glaring at Barry. “Let's see what you got, Allen.” 

Barry slid on his gloves, grabbing the catheter and the man’s arm, his eyes narrowed in concentration. He could feel the vein, just there rolling beneath his finger. He could do this. 

He took a breath, gently readjusting the needle and there! 

The flash. 

"I'm in!" he exclaimed, quickly withdrawing the needle and leaving the catheter in place. "Tape!" 

Snart scrambled to help him tape the IV in place, hooking up the fluids and barking at Ramon, "Patient ready to move?" 

"Secure!" Ramon replied quickly, making one last check on the straps. 

"Let's go," Snart snapped, getting the man loaded up into the back of the ambulance. 

Barry tried to follow, but found Snart's hand firmly pushing into his chest. 

"Go to the station," Snart ordered sharply, "I'll deal with you later." 

Barry pouted, backing off as the ambulance doors closed right in his face. He planted his hands on his hips, sighing in frustration. 

Well, this day was off to a super start. 

Barry sighed forlornly, retreating back to his car. The cops had arrived and were attempting to wrangle the drunk man and guide traffic around the accident. 

Barry was able to pull back out into the road, but he had to wait his turn to merge to wind around the wrecked cars. He made it to the station without any further incident. 

When he stepped inside the building, he found it empty except for the dispatcher, a bright and friendly young woman who waved at him. She was busy on the phone, so there wasn't much of a chance for conversation. 

She seemed nice at least. 

Then Barry saw the nameplate at her desk; Lisa Snart. 

Great. 

Somehow she was related to that jerk. 

He waited patiently for the crew to return, walking into the bay when the ambulance pulled in. He saw Ramon at the wheel, giving him a big smile and waving. 

Barry started to wave back, but Snart had come out and was right in his face. 

"Now, you fucking listen and you listen good," Snart was snarling, "When we're on a scene, I'm in charge-" 

"You're a freakin' jerk!" Barry snapped back, holding his ground. "I don't care if you're in charge or not, you had no right to treat that man the way you did!" 

"Are you out of your mind?" Snart bellowed, furious at Barry's defiance. "Who the fuck cares-" 

"I do!" Barry stubbornly argued. "He was hurt, and he was scared, and you had no right to freak him out like that!" 

"And what, you kissing his ass and telling him everything was gonna be okay is so much better?" Snart roared, so close now that Barry could see how blue his eyes were. 

"We're supposed to provide comfort-" 

"No! You're giving him fucking false hope!" Snart corrected sharply. "Don't you ever tell a patient that! He could have had a fucking intracranial hemorrhage, he could have been dying-" 

"But he wasn't!" Barry protested. "I checked! There is nothing wrong with trying to make someone feel better!" 

"How long you been doin' this, Allen?" Snart snorted, planting his hands on his hips. 

Barry glanced around nervously, realizing their fight had attracted a small audience. Ramon, Lisa, the other crew member he hadn't met, and a few others. "S-six months. I was with South Central for my internship before I got the job here." 

"Wow," Snart whistled, "Six whole months. You're a fucking expert, huh?" 

"No, but at least I'm not an asshole!" Barry growled. 

"How many patients have you lost?" 

"What does that matter-" 

"How many?" Snart demanded with a cruel smile. 

"None yet," Barry replied quietly. 

"Tell you what," Snart drawled, "The first time you have to work on someone who is crying for help while you're trying to scoop their brains back in their head from where they smashed their face into the dash? Go ahead. Tell them then how okay they're going to be." 

Barry's eyes watered, his slim body trembling with fury, standing tall and spitting defiantly, "Fuck you." 

Snart's jaw tightened, and Barry thought Snart might punch him right in the face. 

"Hey, hey!" a new voice started shouting, rough and heavily accented, "What's all this! Snart! Allen! Stand the fuck down!" 

Barry froze, shying away from the angry man who was stomping towards them. 

Rip Hunter, the crew chief he had interviewed with. His new boss. 

"I'm sorry, sir," Barry said quickly, bowing his head respectfully. 

Snart didn't move, still clearly furious and trembling. 

"Allen!" Hunter barked, "Nice of you to finally join us! Snart! Lose the fuckin' attitude, thank you kindly!" 

Snart said nothing, glaring silently. 

"Allen, you'll be on Crew B with Snart, Ramon and Palmer," Hunter ordered, clearly a man who did not like being trifled with. 

"Sir, I don't think-" Barry began, but found himself overshadowed when Snart began to shout. 

"No way that idiot is on my crew!" Snart was protesting. 

"That idiot passed his exams with flying colors on the first go 'round, and everyone in South Central just raves about him," Hunter retorted dryly, "Call him the Flash, because he always hits his mark. He's on your team." 

"But Hunter-" Snart growled. 

"Stand down, Snart," Hunter snapped, raising a stern finger. 

Snart bared his teeth, spitting out, "Yes, sir." He promptly stormed away, and the air was instantly less tense. 

Barry took a deep breath, his hands shaking from all the adrenaline. 

"Allen," Hunter nodded at the others standing by, "Go meet your crew... Oh, and if you're late again? It's your fuckin' ass." 

"Yes, sir," Barry gulped nervously. He watched Hunter walk off, no doubt in search of Snart, turning to greet the new faces that had surrounded him, squeaking nervously, "Uh, hi?"

"Holy fuck balls, man," Ramon gushed, reaching out to shake his head, "You're officially my new hero." 

"I am?" Barry balked, blinking in surprise. 

"Uh, yeah," Ramon laughed. "I've never seen anyone go up against ol' Captain Cold and live to tell the tale. That was fucking magnificent!" 

"It was amazing!" the third crew member chimed in. His name tag said Palmer. "Captain Cold was so freakin' mad! Oh, my God!" 

"Captain... Cold?" Barry frowned in confusion. 

"Yeah, Snart," Ramon explained, "He's our shift captain, and he's a cold son of a bitch. So, Captain Cold." He beamed happily, laughing, "Guess he's met his match in the almighty Flash, right?" 

Barry blushed, chuckling nervously. "Yeah, I guess, you know, something like that. I just... you know... I couldn't let him talk to me that way! Or that patient! It wasn't right!" 

"Hey, look, hero of the day?" Ramon grinned, slapping Barry on the shoulder. "You get to buy the first round of drinks tonight, huh?" 

"Oh, I am, huh?" Barry laughed warmly. 

Ramon nodded sagely, confirming, "Oh, yeah. Besides, it's tradition." 

"Tradition," Palmer agreed with a big smile. 

"New guy has to go out with us after the first shift," Ramon went on. "Hero of the day? Yup, that guy has to buy the first round." 

Barry grinned, laughing, "Okay, I can live with that." 

"C'mon," Ramon said with a friendly smile, "We'll help you restock the truck, and we'll show you around, okay?" 

Barry was so happy to have made a friend, nodding excitedly, "Sounds good." 

"Awesome!" Ramon cheered. "And I am totally showing you off to everyone and telling them all about how you defeated the mighty Captain Cold!" 

Barry groaned, smiling bashfully as he chuckled, "Oh, no." 

Ramon grinning, dragging Barry away and confirming, "Oh, yes." 

Definitely wasn't how Barry was planning to start his day, but it was definitely a vast improvement. Now if he could just avoid Snart for the rest of eternity, it would be fantastic. He, Ramon, and Palmer hadn't even made it three steps into the station office before the alarm was going off. 

Ramon and Palmer groaned in annoyance, turning right around and heading back to the ambulance, dragging Barry with them. 

Snart came barreling through, shoving his shoulder hard into Barry's as he came by heading to the truck, snapping harshly, "Hurry up, Flash! We got work to do!" 

Barry pouted, rubbing his shoulder. Yeah, definitely not going to be a good first day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOO! Look! A Coldflash fic! A very special thank you to marvelqueen14 for working on this with me! We had bunches of fun, and we really hope you guys enjoy it! I will WARN YOU - there is heavy angst ahead. Being a paramedic is not a very happy job. Please check the tags before continuing, but as always I do promise a happy and fluffy ending. <3
> 
> A very special thank you to [cassandrasfisher](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cassandrasfisher/pseuds/cassandrasfisher) for making the super beautiful art for our fic! <3


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If Barry's first day had a rough start, it was certainly a nightmare by the end of the shift. He was fast friends with Ramon and Palmer both, but Snart was an entirely different story. 

Leonard Snart may have been the absolute worst person he had ever met. He was unbelievably arrogant, he was downright horrible to the patients, and he was terrible to Ramon. He was awful to everyone, but he had an especially unkind way with Barry.

Maybe it was because Barry had stood up to him, but Snart was going out of his way to make his life miserable.

Barry's kit kept disappearing. At first, he thought he was crazy until he caught Snart deliberately moving it. He claimed it had been in his way, but Barry was onto him.

If it wasn't his kit, then it was his stethoscope or his shears. Everything of his kept getting moved around when Barry needed it most and left him scrambling right in the middle of calls. He felt stupid and incompetent all the while Snart gave him that smug little smile.

When Barry found his flashlight shoved down in the bottle of his kit, he wanted to bash Snart in the head with it.

How could someone so attractive be so disgustingly mean!

Oh, and the way he treated the patients made Barry's blood boil. 

Snart had definitely earned his nickname because he was incredibly cold towards them. He didn't seem to care at all. He worked on them as if they weren't even people. They were only slabs of meat that he had to put holes in and carry around to the hospital.

Even more maddening, Snart came behind Barry and was redoing every he did. He told him he was taping the IV's off incorrectly and would change it, told him that his tourniquets weren't tied correctly and would redo them. Every little thing Barry tried to do, Snart was right there telling him it was wrong.

Ramon and Palmer didn't say much, although they gave Barry plenty of sympathetic looks. Ramon seemed content to remain silent and obedient to avoid Snart's abuse. Palmer didn't know how to keep quiet and constantly blundered into Snart's wrath for the most of minor infractions. 

When they would return to the station in between calls, Palmer would hide and Ramon would make a mad dash to the dispatch office to chat with Lisa.

Barry wasn't sure if they were dating or if Ramon was really hoping that they were, but he ran like hell whenever Snart came around. Whatever his intentions, Ramon was clearly terrified of Snart finding out.

Lisa was Snart's younger sister he had found out, and he was extremely protective of her.

He also learned very quickly that she was nothing at all like her brother. She was sweet and bubbly with a playful smile, and it was impossible not to like her.

Snart, on the other hand, Barry wanted to punch right in the mouth.

By the end of the shift, he was ready to run him over with his car. He wasn't sure he was going to be able to work with Snart without losing his mind. They had returned from their last call, a very sweet old woman who had been complaining of trouble breathing.

Turns out she had forgotten to switch her oxygen on. Easy call, and a pleasant way to end the day. 

Snart had told the woman to be more mindful of her equipment and not to waste their time. Barry wanted to strangle him, making sure to shake the woman's hand and reassure her it was fine to call anytime.

When they returned to the station, Snart told them he was going to hit the showers. Barry made a conscious decision not to go anywhere near the locker room knowing Snart was going to be back there. 

Naked.

God, he was doomed.

Barry groaned to himself and started restocking the ambulance. Ramon took advantage of Snart's absence and zipped off ask her Lisa if she wanted to join them for drinks. Palmer went with him as backup. 

Barry started repacking his kit for tomorrow when he found a lovely surprise waiting for him.

A wad of chewing gum stuck between the blades of his shears. 

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Barry grumbled bitterly. That was it. He stormed off down the hallway, catching up to Snart and roughly tapping him on the shoulder. 

"What?" Snart demanded, turning around with a scowl. "Are you following me now?"

"Yes, but-"

"Not enough room in the shower for both of us," Snart teased, "But we could try."

"You're freakin' unbelievable!" Barry groaned, his face blazing bright red as he held up his trauma shears. "This your idea of a joke?"

"Huh. It does look pretty funny to me," Snart said with a shrug.

"You are horrible! You're fucking horrible! You're a fucking menace!" Barry snarled as he shoved the shears in the side pocket of his pants. "I have done nothing to you, and you have tortured me all day!"

"Maybe you should take a fucking hint, kid," Snart replied dryly. 

"Maybe you should remove the giant stick from your ass!" Barry growled, finding himself nose to nose with Snart. He didn't care how sexy that little widow's peak was or the curl of his full lips as he smiled, nope, nope. 

Barry was staying completely focused on chewing this jerk out.

"Maybe you should grow the fuck up," Snart snapped back, lightly pushing Barry out of his space with a smirk, "This isn't a sweet little pretend game where you get to run around and play hero. There isn't always a happy ending."

"What? So, I should be a heartless prick like you?" Barry pushed him back. "Fuck you, man. There's no reason to treat people like you do! It's cruel!"

Snart used his full body weight to force Barry against the wall, slapping his hand up above his shoulder, pointing right at him as he growled, "It's called being professional, you little shit. You can't get attached to patients!"

Barry gasped, his eyes flicking quickly over Snart's body. He grabbed the collar of his uniform shirt, giving him a rough jerk as he argued, "Being kind is being professional! You fucking scare the hell out of people, how is that any better?"

Snart let Barry pull him in, their hips bumping together as he sneered, "Because when that first one dies on you then it won't fucking hurt as much. You have to stay detached!"

"You're a monster."

"You're a fucking idiot!"

"Asshole!"

"Fucking dumb prick!"

The tension between them was thick and heavy, making the very air instantly hotter. Barry couldn't stop looking at Snart's lips, the way he was panting. 

Oh, this wasn't fair at all.

Snart was pressed so tightly against him, and Barry hadn't let go of his collar. He wiggled when he felt Snart's hand slide to his hip, his furious glare starting to lose all it intensity. 

Barry couldn't quite pinpoint the feeling boiling between them, but it was almost overwhelming, and something had to give or he thought he was going to explode.

"You are too soft for this, kid," Snart warned, his tongue licking over his lips as he sighed, "I've seen people like you come and go. You'll never fucking last."

"How the fuck did you end up like this," Barry asked quietly, searching Snart's face for answers. "Huh? Are you burned out? Or did you lose a patient because you were too busy being such a prick?"

All the color rushed to Snart's face, simultaneously furious and aching. He suddenly pulled back from Barry, his jaw tight and his expression blank. 

Barry's eyes widened, saying softly, "Oh, God. You did, didn't you."

"Go fuck yourself, Allen," was Snart's cool response, clearly wounded.

For a moment, Barry thought he saw the glimmer of tears in Snart's eyes.

Barry immediately felt his guts drop with guilt, ashamed for saying something so mean. He had obviously hurt Snart, regretting it so much. He should have been the better person, pleading, "Hey! I'm sorry. I didn't mean... Snart!"

Snart flipped him off, stalking towards the locker room. 

Barry hung his head, miserable. This was not how his first day was supposed to go at all. He trudged back to the ambulance to finish stocking, grumbling to himself all the while. 

Ramon came bouncing over with Palmer in tow, chirping happily, "Hey, Flash! You ready to get outta here? Lisa can't make it, but..." He frowned. "What's with the pout? Snart kick your metaphorical puppy again?"

"Something like that," Barry replied, his brow wrinkling up, "I kinda think I may have kicked his. He's pretty pissed off with me."

"Mmm, pissed off is sort of his default setting," Ramon said, patting Barry's shoulder. "He's super good at what he does, seriously. He's just, you know, a giant asshole about it."

"Has he always been like this?"

Palmer and Ramon exchanged a long look, both stammering to reply.

"Ehhhh, pretty much as long as I've known him, and I've been here for four years," Ramon replied with a bashful grin. "You catch him around Lisa, he's like a freakin' pod person. Totally night and day. Kinda freaky."

"Very freaky," Palmer echoed, "Like aliens have come and replaced him with an alien clone."

"Dude," Ramon scoffed, "That's exactly what I said."

"It was?"

"I don't know if I can do this," Barry sighed, interrupting their banter, his shoulders sagging in defeat. "I don't know how I can work with him. I can't do anything freakin' right."

"It's because you're not doing things his way," Ramon said, "I pretty much have just accepted the tyrannical reign of Snart, and my life has improved vastly ever since."

"You mean he stopped picking fights with you and making your life horrible," Barry drawled, running his fingers through his hair. 

"Yup," Ramon laughed. "I really do try to stay to stay on his good side."

"Mmmm, because of Lisa?" Barry teased, delighted when he saw Ramon blush.

"Yeah, yeah," Ramon said, grinning bashfully. "It's not exactly a state secret that I have, you know... I have some certain feelings for her."

"Certain romantic feelings," Palmer teased with a cheesy grin. 

Ramon swatted at him, taunting in retaliation, "You just wait until we get to the bar. It's "Dirty Dancing" time, my friend."

Palmer's happy face melted, his eyes bugging out as he pleaded, "Oh, no, no, no. I can't. Don't you dare."

"Huh?" Barry blinked. There was definitely something he was missing.

Palmer moaned loudly, shaking his head as he protested, "Cisco, you promised you'd keep it a secret!"

"I totally am!" Ramon argued, giving Barry a sly grin as he added, "Trust me. Give him like four or five drinks, he'll tell you himself."

It only took three.

They got changed out from their work uniforms and agreed to meet at Saints and Sinners, a popular bar downtown. Barry was glad to get away from the station, grateful that he hadn't seen Snart since their fight.

Ramon and Palmer rode together and had already gotten a table back in the far corner of the bar near the pool tables. They had ordered drinks and waved Barry over who eagerly joined them, laughing, "Hey! First round still on me, right?"

"I may have doubled up," Palmer admitted, grinning sheepishly at two glasses in front of him. One was already empty, the other halfway.

"No problem!" Barry was all smiles. "This place is great."

"Oh, you've been here before?" Ramon asked.

"Once or twice. My adopted dad is a cop," Barry explained with a light shrug, taking a sip of the beer they had gotten for him, "It's a cop bar."

"Hey," Palmer protested with a serious pout, "This bar is for all our brothers and sisters in uniforms! Not just cops, but also paramedics, ahem."

"Meter maids," Ramon added helpfully. 

Palmer's eyes shifted towards the door, downing his glass and sighing dreamily, "Firefighters."

Barry followed Ray's vision to a very large and burly young man who was marching right up to the bar and slamming his fist down.

The entire bar cheered, the large man quickly joined by several others coming in behind him as a long line of shots was being poured for them.

Barry watched the spectacle as the waitress brought them their next round, asking, "So, who's the big guy."

"That's Mick Rory," Ray said with a blissful smile as he took a big gulp. Drink number three was doing the trick. "Isn't he freakin' hot?"

"Uh," Barry stammered to respond. Rory looked like he could crush a snapping turtle with one hand. "He looks... nice."

Ray's lovesick stare was not weakened in the slightest by Barry's poor comment, sighing, "He's really so sweet, and gentle, and he doesn't talk a lot? But he "says" a lot, you know what I mean?"

"Oh, sure!" Barry had no clue. Maybe he needed to drink more. 

"So," Ramon prompted innocently, sipping at his beer. "Tell Allen about your dream."

Palmer's hands slapped down onto the table, gasping, "Have you seen "Dirty Dancing", like, the movie?"

"Yeah?" Barry blinked, surprised by the intensity of Palmer's stare.

"The end. The big dance number, no Baby in the corner. The 'My Life' song. All that," Palmer said excitedly, "I had this dream where that all happened..." He grinned shyly. "But it was with Mick."

Barry slowly looked over at the incredibly large man who was currently dry humping the bar after downing multiple shots, then he slowly panned back to Palmer. 

Patrick Swayze he was not.

"It was so intense and real, and, and... ugh," Palmer groaned, putting his head down on the table. "Hopeless."

"Because I'm a supportive friend who likes making dreams come true, I play that song almost every night to lure Mick over," Ramon giggled, "Subconsciously, I think Mick senses the importance of the song, and it will bring him and Ray together one day."

"Or you could go ask him out?" Barry suggested, taken aback when both Ramon and Palmer started shaking their heads.

"No way!"

"Are you kidding?"

"Why not! It's just like you and Lisa!" Barry protested. "Why don't you actually ask her out?"

"I ask her to come drink with us all the time," Ramon argued, tucking his hair behind his ears. "She's super busy, she's-"

"Ask her on a date," Barry pushed.

"Snart would pull out my insides and play in them with a rusty spoon."

"Adorable. What about you, Palmer?" Barry looked hopefully at him, offering an encouraging smile. "Why don't you ask Mick out sometime? Worst thing he could say is no?"

"Snart would never ever let me hear the end of it," Palmer sighed, deflating in his seat. "I can't."

"What does Snart have to do with Mick?"

"Uh, they're only like childhood best friends," Ramon supplied while Palmer pouted. He nodded at the bar. 

Barry turned to look, grimacing when he saw Snart was there now, standing next to Mick and an athletic blonde woman. 

The three of them seemed to be having a lovely time, and Barry felt his heart drop at the sight of him. He wished he could take back what he had said, fidgeting with the napkin under his beer. His cheeks heated up a little when he saw Snart's arm wind around the blonde's shoulders while he and Mick chatted.

"Who's the girl?" Barry asked casually.

"Sara Lance," Ramon replied, taking a drink of his beer. "Another firefighter."

"Snart's... girlfriend?"

"No, she's dating some nurse at Central City General," Palmer said, still longingly gazing over at Mick.

Ramon was looking at Barry suspiciously, and he suddenly gasped, "Oh, my God, Allen."

Barry flinched, freezing like a deer caught in headlights. "What?"

"You like Snart," Ramon accused. 

Palmer stared at Barry, and he looked so betrayed. "Oh, no."

"No, I don't!" Barry hissed. "I feel a little bad that I hurt his feelings earlier, but I can't stand him! I just-"

"You are so jealous right now," Ramon hissed back, "If looks could kill, which is also the name of an awesome movie, but if they actually could, Sara would drop dead right this freakin' second!"

Barry couldn't think of a good reply, downing his beer and stealing a glance over at Snart.

Snart noticed their table and Barry's not so sneaky looks, smiling sweetly and flipping him off.

Barry's cheeks turned red and he quickly looked away, insisting again, "No. I don't. I hate him. Absolutely cannot stand him."

"Right," Ramon nodded, smirking playfully. "And Greedo shot first, totally!"

"Han shot first," Palmer interjected.

"That's... you're missing the point," Ramon said dryly.

"But Han did shoot first!"

"Sarcasm, Ray. It's called sarcasm."

Barry picked at the label of his beer bottle while they bickered, trying desperately not to look back at Snart. That rough little tangle in the hallway had been unpleasant but was not without its highlights, such as now having a very detailed memory of Snart's tongue slowly gliding over his lips.

Crap, Ramon was right. Barry did like him. He liked him a lot.

And Snart hated his guts. 

Perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoy this chapter as much as meowitskatmofo and I did creating it!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry enjoyed the rest of his evening out with Ramon and Palmer, doing his absolute best to ignore Leonard Snart. He couldn't stand the dirty looks or the guilt gnawing away at him. He laughed while Palmer tried to crawl under the table when Ramon did as he promised by playing "The Time of My Life" on the jukebox. 

Mick Rory was not magically drawn over, and Palmer remained sitting under the table until their last round of drinks arrived. 

They said good night at last call, Ramon driving Palmer back to the apartment where they roomed together, and Barry heading home. He was restless once he made it into bed, unable to find sleep right away. He knew he had to get up early and make it to work on time tomorrow. 

He could not stand to have another day like today. 

Eventually, he drifted off, thoughts of Snart's hands on him and tasting those full lips. 

By some miracle, Barry woke up when his alarm went off and managed to arrive only two minutes late. Ramon was chipper, Palmer was a tad hungover, and Snart didn't say a damn word to him. He couldn't look at him with a straight face after the dreams he'd had, blushing hot when their eyes happened to meet. 

There wasn't much time for any awkwardness as they got a call mere moments after Barry walked through the door and they had to load up to go. 

An elderly man had been out mowing his grass and collapsed, possible heart attack. Ramon got them there in record time, finding the man unconscious and not breathing, no pulse. His wife had been attempting CPR, Snart and Barry quickly taking over. 

Even between chest compressions, Barry caught himself glancing up at Snart working with the Ambu bag. His eyes were the same pale blue color as the plastic, and Barry wished he would look up at him. 

They got the man on the stretcher quickly, got his pulse back but in arrhythmia, quickly loading him in the back of the ambulance. His wife tearfully joined them and sat down beside Barry while he got the IV started. 

He got the flash on the first try, and then Palmer was handing him fluids to hook up as he taped off the catheter. He did it straight across as he always did, the edge of the tape catching the tubing as Palmer draped it over the side of the stretcher. 

Snart wordlessly reached over, pulling the tape off and reapplying it at a new angle to keep it from being caught. 

"Thanks," Barry mumbled, finally understanding why Snart always did it that way. It would have been nice if he explained himself, but it seemed Snart was still not speaking to him. 

The wife was sobbing now, Barry gently sliding his arm around her shoulders as he said softly, "It's gonna be okay. We're doing everything we can." 

Even that sentiment wasn't enough for Snart to speak up, though he did glare furiously at Barry for being so compassionate. He couldn't help but think Snart was especially handsome when he was angry. 

Crap, he had it for this guy so bad. 

Barry wished he could tell himself that the attraction was purely physical, but as the days went on he did truly come to admire Snart. 

Jerk or not, Barry did respect him. His pushy advice was actually helpful, although it would be super if he wasn't such an ass about it. It was obvious that he was very good at his job, and he was an absolute perfectionist in everything he did. 

And he was so very pretty, and that wicked smirk of his made Barry melt. 

Damn it. 

Barry managed to survive the next few days without much incident. Snart still wasn't speaking to him unless he absolutely had to, but he did enjoy his evenings hanging out with Palmer and Ramon. 

The work rotation was a little hectic. They ran in twelve hour shifts, four crews. Two worked at night, and two during the day. Barry was on one of the day crews. 

The schedule started as four days in a row. They'd be off for three days, work for three, off for four, and back into the four day stretch again. 

Today was the fourth day, and Barry was determined not to leave until he was back on speaking terms with Snart. They had to work together, he had to make this right. 

It was getting close to quitting time, and they had just come back from a fairly benign call; six year old who had swallowed a penny. They dropped the boy and his parents off the hospital and returned to the station to finish up for the evening. Barry left Palmer and Ramon to stock the ambulance, trying to catch up with Snart. 

"Hey, Snart!" Barry called out, following him into the locker room.

Snart glanced back at him, clearly hearing him, but not responding. He started stripping off his uniform shirt and unbuckling his belt, paying Barry no mind. 

Barry gulped audibly, trying not to stare too obviously as he stripped, stammering, "L-look, I know you're still mad at me, but please. I'm trying to apologize. You were an asshole, and I was trying to be a bigger asshole-" 

"That might be the first thing that's come out of your mouth I completely agree with," Snart snorted. "You are totally an asshole."

Barry felt a glimmer of hope. Okay, so it wasn't nice, but at least Snart had said more than four words to him. He held out his hands in surrender, saying quietly, "I'm sorry." 

Snart sneered, tossing his shirt down on the bench, stepping into Barry's space as he echoed, "You're sorry?"

Barry grunted softly, requiring physical effort to pull his eyes away from the fit of Snart's undershirt. "Yes," he replied earnestly, "Please, I don't know what else I can do. I want-" 

"Quit," Snart suggested. 

"N-no, come on," Barry groaned, "You don't mean that. I'm just... wait, are you serious?" 

"Very," Snart replied, glaring at him fiercely. "I already told you. You're too soft, you're not as good as you think you are, and-" 

"No," Barry refused, his hands curling into firsts. "Look, I came here to try and make stuff cool with you, okay? Give me a damn break! I already feel really terrible-" 

"Then talk to Hunter. Get a transfer to another crew." 

"Okay, feeling a lot less terrible because you're kinda being a jerk again," Barry growled, taking a step away from Snart. 

Snart followed, backing him into the lockers. 

Barry grunted, snapping, "Like this? This right here? Prime example of you being a jerk!" 

"I'm trying to help you," Snart growled in his face, his body bumping against Barry's and making him flush from head to toe. 

The bell rang, signaling they had one last call. 

Barry was almost relieved, slipping out from beneath Snart and rushing back to the ambulance. Snart was right behind him, buttoning his shirt back on and jumping into the back with him. 

Lisa's voice sounded shaky over the radio as she called it in, "Multiple vehicles, at least six involved at high speeds. South Central is on their way to assist. West Central and CCFD en route. Unknown number of patients." 

Barry's adrenaline started pumping hard, his eyes moving to gauge Snart's reaction. He looked stern, almost unreadable, but his fingers were slowly drumming on the railing of the stretcher. 

Palmer was downright grim, closing his eyes and bowing his head as if to say a quick prayer. Barry didn't think that was a bad idea, bowing his head and silently saying one of his own. 

Snart did not appear to opt for any divine assistance, checking back over his kit and saying quietly, "When we get there, it's going to be chaos. Police will hopefully be there by now, and they'll help direct people out of the way. Stay close to me. We're going to move fast." 

Barry realized Snart was talking to him, nodding anxiously. 

He could hear additional sirens and the blare of the horn from a fire engine rolling up behind them, his palms sweating as he felt the ambulance slowing down as they pulled up to the scene. 

Ramon was driving up on the side of the road, the whole wagon shaking as the tires bumped over the median and through the grass. Barry took a deep breath, knowing they were almost there. 

The moment Ramon hit the brakes, he felt his heart jump into his throat, jumping out after Snart. 

The sight of the accident made his stomach turn. Some of the vehicles were barely recognizable as cars, masses of twisted metal all heaped together in the middle of the road. 

They made it to the first car, the driver shaken and bloody, but walking on his own. Snart left him in Palmer's care, dragging Barry over to the next. They could barely squeeze into the car, Snart trying before pulling back to snap, "Move on. He's dead." 

Barry was sick immediately, staring at the man behind the wheel. He was battered and bruised, his head slumped against the wheel. He had some sort of funny hat on. 

"But we... we have to..." Barry stuttered. 

"He's dead," Snart shouted, pointing at the man's head. 

Barry swallowed thickly, realizing that the hat was actually the top of the man's skull. It was open and had slid forward... Christ. 

Barry forced himself to look away, moving with Snart to the next car. He saw South Central EMS was here, rushing behind them to the next vehicle. He could hear people shouting, more sirens, sobbing. 

He saw the CCFD trying to get into one of more twisted vehicles, the growl of a saw and sparks flying. It was all so overwhelming, lost in the chaos until he heard Snart's voice, barking, "Let's go, Allen!" 

The driver of the car was a young woman, unconscious, bleeding. Barry's brain went on autopilot, placing the cervical collar on her before they moved her onto a backboard. Her legs were broken, cringing at the painful looking angles at which they were dangling. 

IV. 

Flash. 

He focused on the work, watching other paramedics step in to splint her legs and take her away to the hospital. 

Snart was pushing himself deeper into the mangled wreck of the car, calling back, "One more!" 

Barry was right there with him, and even over all the noise he could hear soft crying. 

It was a little girl. 

Barry stared in horror, frozen in place to see something so fragile look so very broken. 

Snart and Barry managed to get her out of the wrecked vehicle, Barry's fingers flying to get an IV started while Snart tried to stabilize her.

IV. 

No flash. 

Wait, no. What was happening. Why wasn't it working. Barry began to panic, staring helplessly at Snart. He had never missed before, not once. 

Snart shook his head, expression grim. He sighed, gently pushing Barry's hands away. "She's gone." 

"No," Barry argued, trying again to place the IV. His eyes were starting to water. "No, she can't be. I j-just missed. She's not." 

"She's dead," Snart said flatly, trying to grab Barry's wrist, "She's been dead. That's why you can't get it started, Allen. There are other people that might need our help-" 

Barry was crying, shaking his head as he violently protested, "No! No! Let me try again! Let me try!" 

"Allen," Snart warned, his eyes narrowing. He dropped his voice down, urging quietly, "We need to move on." 

"Fuck you, I am not giving up!" Barry cried, glaring at Snart furiously. "I'm... I'm not! I can't!" He looked at the scene, snapping, "South Central has the other patients out, we have this one! Now let me work!" 

Snart flung a sheet over the girl and grabbed Barry tight, lifting him up quickly. He dragged him away, hissing in his ear, "Stop, Allen. You have to stop. Let her go." 

"No!" Barry sobbed, trying to push Snart away, struggling with every step. 

"Get a fuckin' hold of yourself," Snart pleaded, but he didn't sound cruel. 

"Snart, let go of me!" Barry tried to twisted out of Snart's arms, but he wouldn't let go. "Get the fuck off of me!" 

Snart practically carried Barry to the other side of the ambulance away from prying eyes. He hugged him tight, shoving his face against his chest, soothing, "You have to let her go." 

Barry panted and collapsed in Snart's arms, crying loudly. He couldn't stop seeing the little girl's face, all that blood. How could something like this happen. 

It wasn't fair, it wasn't fair at all. 

Snart was gently rubbing Barry's back with a tenderness he never would have expected, his fingers lightly massaging over his spine and shoulders, soothing, "You did everything you could, Allen. You did everything you possibly could." 

Barry looked up at him, his eyes still full of tears as he whimpered, "But she's still dead." 

"I know," Snart said, his icy eyes melting. "But she was already long dead before we got here." 

"But I heard her crying," Barry insisted, weeping desperately. "I know I did." 

"You only thought you did," Snart said gently, his hands settling now on Barry's waist. "I've heard them before, too. Especially the kids. You have to ignore it. Most of the time, it's just in your head." 

Barry grimaced, trying to wipe off his face. "Look," he sighed miserably, embarrassed for getting so upset, "I'm, I'm sorry. I just... I didn't want to give up-" 

"Let's get the other patient loaded," Snart said briskly. He saw that his curt tone had hurt Barry, aiming for soothing when he spoke again, saying, "We'll talk later. Gotta finish the job first, okay?" 

"Okay." Barry wiped his cheeks, taking a deep breath. He followed Snart back to the scene, getting another patient in the ambulance and heading to the hospital. 

On the way there, Snart had his hand on Barry's shoulder and he found himself leaning into his touch. It was a nice and very pleasant surprise to experience such a tender side of the feared Captain Cold. 

They finally returned to the station, clearing down for the evening. Barry was still shaken up a bit, getting big hugs from both Ramon and Palmer. Even Lisa came out of the dispatch offer to hug him, snuggling tight as she sighed, "Kids are always the worst, sweetie. I'm so sorry." 

Barry smiled weakly, but didn't dare reply because he thought he might cry again. He was able to calm himself down when Snart came over, staring dumbly up at him. 

Snart had comforted him, calmed him, even held him. Something special was happening between them, getting lost in those beautiful eyes, those lips- 

"Saints and Sinners, nine o'clock," Snart barked at him as he breezed by him, not even looking at him before he left. 

Ramon and Palmer exchanged a surprised look, waiting for Snart to be out of the building before commenting. 

"What just freakin' happened?" Ramon squealed, slapping Barry's arm excitedly. "Did that just happen?" 

"Did you just get a date with Captain Cold?" Palmer gasped, his eyes wide with shock. 

Barry was still spinning from the emotions of the last call, practically numb as he tried to make sense of it all. He had expected another locker room talk, maybe exchange phone numbers, but a date was pretty unexpected. "I... I think so?" 

"Well, crap! Come on, dude!" Ramon started herding Barry towards the door. "Quit eyeballin' us and go find out!" 

"Okay!" Barry laughed. 

Ramon offered a playful grin, teasing, "Make sure you put in a good word for Ray with Rory, all right? And you know, maybe one for me with Lisa. If, you know, you think about it." 

"Right! Uhm, I'll see what I can do?" Barry replied, blushing all the way down to his neck. 

He hurried home to get ready, got himself looking good and splashed on a little bit of cologne before rushing back out the door. He tried not to think about the girl or how much she reminded him of his own adopted sister at that age. He stayed focused on his date with Snart. 

If it was a date; wasn't it a date? 

When he arrived at Saints and Sinners, he saw the fire fighters were here and a scattered assortment of paramedics. A few he recognized not only from the call today, but from working together previously at South Central. 

He waved to them, but quickly headed over to a booth far in the corner where Snart was waiting for him. He was a little put off to see Snart was wearing an old EMS shirt and jeans. Not exactly dressed up for a date. 

Maybe he had been wrong. 

Barry slid into the seat across from him, starting to say, "Hey! Sorry I'm a little late, I was just-" 

Snart wordlessly slid a typed letter in front of Barry, glancing up at him. 

"What..." Barry frowned. "What is this?" 

Snart leaned back, replying flatly, "All you gotta do it sign it." 

"What the hell, Snart?" 

"It's your resignation."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heart-wrenching icky ol' angst! Never fear, happy times are ahead. <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Not this again," Barry groaned, his heart sinking down into his shoes. He tapped his fingers on the table, instantly agitated. "This is why you asked me out? To try and get me to quit again?"

"Why, what did you think this was," Snart snorted, his eyes widening slightly as he fully took in Barry's primped appearance. He smirked, asking slowly, "Did you think this was... a romantic venture?"

"No," Barry lied, his face turning red. He could feel the heat burning all the way up into his ears, glad when the waitress came over to take their drink order.

He was in the mood for something with a bite, requesting a Jack and Coke. To his surprise, Snart ordered the same. 

Snart was not letting Barry's terrible lie go unchecked, leaning across the table the moment the waitress left. He was smirking so very smugly as he purred, "So, tell me, Allen. Are you sweet on me?"

Barry didn't feel like flirting, grumbling, "Not right this second since you keep trying to get me to quit."

Snart shrugged, saying airily, "I'm only trying to do what's best for you."

"Today sucked," Barry said sternly, "Like, it really freakin' sucked. But it's not fair for you to think that I'm not cut out for this just because I got upset. Emotions don't make you weak."

"That's exactly what they do," Snart countered, "They will cloud your judgment, they will affect your decisions. They have no place on this job."

"I don't agree with you," Barry argued, "Not at all. You need to have some compassion. You have to care about what you're doing!"

"I do care," Snart snorted, "But I know that I can only do my job well if I leave all my shit at home."

"That's not fair to the patients. They want to be comforted. They want to feel safe-"

"So, it's okay to lie to them?" Snart interjected.

"It's not... it's not lying!" Barry stuttered, flustered. He was glad when their drinks arrived, slurping nearly half of it down in one gulp.

"It's definitely lying," Snart replied with a growl, taking a big swallow to match Barry's. "Don't you ever make promises that you can't fucking keep."

"How the hell did you get like this," Barry asked, pouting defiantly. "How did you get so... so cold?"

Snart pursed his lips, thinking for a few moments before replying. He looked down at his glass as he spoke, never meeting Barry's eye as he replied, "My first day on the job we had a bad call. A mom picked up her daughter from school, she was drunk. Flipped the car into a ditch trying to get on the freeway.

"Came up on the scene, the mother was screaming and hollering, wandering around the road. Not a scratch on her. The girl... the girl didn't make it. She was alive when we pulled her out, and we all worked so hard on her. I was like you, I didn't want to give up.

"I can still see her face, her little curls.. she looked a lot like Lisa. Maybe that's what made it so hard, but..." He finished off his drink, waving towards their waitress for another. "But she didn't make it."

Barry now realized how truly hurtful his comment from their fight had been, a new wave of guilt flooding his gut. He frowned, reaching out to gently rest his hand on top of Snart's. "I'm sorry."

Snart gently brushed his thumb against Barry's, his eyes finally moving up to meet his. "Even now, I wonder if it was because I was distracted, because I did something wrong because I let my emotions get the better of me."

Barry shook his head, saying softly, "There's no way to know that, Snart. You can't blame yourself-"

"But I do," Snart said with absolute certainty, "And so will you."

"You can't do that to yourself," Barry said quietly. He gave the waitress a strained smile as she served them another round of drinks, looking back to Snart when she was gone. "I'm sure you did everything you could."

"I promised that little girl I would help her, that I would save her," Snart said, his fingers slowly intertwining with Barry's. "It still haunts me, even now, that I wasn't able to."

"That's why you just turn everything off? To protect yourself?" Barry asked, a deep frown creasing his face.

"Yup," Snart sighed, "Trust me, Allen. You won't very last in this job otherwise, and you don't have it in you." He nodded at the letter. "Sign it, find a new line of work."

"No," Barry said, jerking his hand away and grabbing the piece of paper. He balled it up and chunked it right in Snart's face. 

"The fuck," Snart hissed, glaring viciously.

"There is nothing wrong with caring," Barry snapped, "Caring so much is what makes me good at this. And yes, I will probably feel like shit for a long time because of what happened today. But you know? It makes me want to try even harder so it never has to happen again.

"You just freakin' gave up! You're so afraid to feel anything, you just ran away from it all because you're not strong enough to deal with it! Well, you know what? I am! And I'm not freakin' quitting just because you keep telling me I can't do this!"

Barry could feel his face flushing in his frustration, stunned when Snart reached for his hand again. 

"Fine," Snart challenged, smirking fondly, "Prove me wrong."

"Hey, I think I just did," Barry protested, grinning proudly, "I mean, I did just throw that stupid paper in your face, you giant jerk. I'm still here. And I'm not going anywhere."

Snart actually laughed, his eyes twinkling with mischief as he taunted, "Barry Allen, you might just be the most fucking stubborn man I've ever met."

"Wow, coming from the world's biggest asshole, I will take that as a compliment!" Barry snickered. 

"World's biggest asshole, huh?" Leonard smirked, tilting his head to the side. "Then why did you agree to go out with me?"

"Thought you said this wasn't a date?" Barry teased, working through his next drink with a giggle.

"Well, if it was, you can believe I wouldn't have brought you here," Snart chuckled, "And I wouldn't be wearing a ratty old work shirt. I assure you that I clean up very, very well."

"I think you look great like this," Barry gushed shyly.

Snart smiled, snorting, "You do, hmm?"

"Still an asshole," Barry taunted, not even sure when both their glasses were emptied. "But you know, at least you look good while you do it."

"I look good while I do a lot of things," Snart purred, his thumb rubbing against Barry's palm, "I bet you do, too."

Barry blushed, shaking his head. He leaned a little closer over the table, all confidence as he said, "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Maybe I would," Leonard relied smoothly, "Then again, I am trying to get you to quit."

"Am I too much of a distraction?" Barry asked innocently, grinning when their feet touched under the table.

"You're definitely distracting," Snart admitted, but followed it up quickly by saying, "Because I constantly have to clean up after you."

"You arrogant ass," Barry shot back, smiling brightly, "Yeah, maybe because everything just has to be done _your_ way."

"My way is the right way."

"Oh, really?"

"Mmmhmm."

"Yeah, well, there are other ways to do things," Barry said firmly.

"Wrong ways," Snart chuckled.

Barry glared, but there was no real wrath in it, arguing, "God, maybe I will quit. Just so I don't have to listen to your freakin' mouth."

"Don't get my hopes up," Snart said, grinning slyly.

"You're unbelievable," Barry laughed, "You are so ridiculous."

"Mmmm, but you still like me," Snart replied smugly.

"Maybe."

"What's not to like," Snart said with a wink, "I'm handsome, smart, talented... humble."

"Oh, very humble," Barry giggled. It really was impossible not to like Snart. His charm was absolutely infectious, and Barry was surprised how funny he was under all that snark.

"You have an amazing smile," Snart said, giving Barry's hand a little squeeze.

Barry knew his face was flushing again, teasing, "Trying to get on my good side now?"

"I'd settle for getting in your pants for now."

Barry almost choked on his drink, attempting to stay smooth as he retorted, "After the shit you freakin' pulled, you'd be lucky to get my number."

"Ohhh, playing hard to get now?" 

"Maybe I don't want to play at all."

"Then why haven't you left?"

"Well, I gotta pay for my drinks," Barry said nonchalantly, shrugging. 

"I'll pay for them," Snart offered, "If you stay."

"How about you pay for them, and I still leave?" Barry countered. "I mean, you have been a real jerk to me. Didn't even dress up for our date."

"This wasn't a date, and you said I looked great," Snart reminded him with a grin. 

"Apologize," Barry demanded stubbornly. 

"For what?"

"For being such an asshole. Apologize, and maybe I'll think about staying."

Snart rolled his eyes, but he was sincere when he said, "I'm sorry, Allen. For being so hard on you. You got a big heart. It's... sweet. And if you think you're strong enough to handle this job, I'll let you try."

"Thank you, Snart," Barry said, beaming happily, "That was-"

"And when you inevitably have to throw in the towel, I'll gladly be a reference for you," Snart added helpfully.

Barry laughed, smacking Snart's arm as he cackled, "God, it's like you can't help yourself!"

Snart grinned, tipping back his drink and asking bluntly, "Wanna get outta here?"

"And go where?" Barry asked coyly, surprised by his forwardness but definitely interested.

"Anywhere you want," was Snart's quick reply, licking his lips as he gazed longingly at Barry's mouth.

Barry shivered.

"Well?" Snart asked, biting at his lip.

"God, yes."

Snart paid their tab, Barry hurrying to his feet and heading to the exit.

Snart grabbed him the second they were outside the bar, pulling Barry into a heated kiss that made him moan and gasp, every nerve instantly aflame.

Barry hadn't made out like this since high school, letting Snart drag him around the corner of the building for some privacy. They grinded together against the brick, kissing and touching, groping every inch of each other.

Snart's lips were as lush and sweet as Barry thought they would be, quickly taking control of their kiss and forcing Barry to slow down. 

Barry refused to let him dominate for long, sliding his tongue deep into Snart's mouth and raking fingernails over his short hair. He heard Snart groan appreciatively and did it again.

"What are the chances of me taking you home?" Snart panted, his hands cupping Barry's ass and squeezing.

"Mmm," Barry hummed thoughtfully, "Well, I guess that depends on whether or not you're gonna write up any more resignation letters for me."

"I promise," Snart purred, "When you're ready to quit, I'll make you write it yourself."

"Asshole," Barry cackled, kissing him hard.

"Stubborn fuckin' hot mess," Snart shot back, mumbling against his lips, "So. My place?"

"Uh huh," Barry nodded, stumbling back towards the sidewalk to grab a cab for them.

The ride to Snart's apartment was a steamy tangle of kisses and gropes, not able to keep their hands off of one another for a second. Snart had trouble getting his key in the lock because Barry was nibbling at his ear. 

They managed to make it into the bedroom, shoes kicked off along the way, eagerly stripping each other down as they went. Snart made Barry wait to get his underwear off, pulling him close for a slow and deep kiss.

Barry melted against him, his head swimming from Snart's hot tongue in his mouth and his fingers lazily dancing down his back. He wanted more, pressing their bodies close together, groaning, "Come on, Snart."

"Easy," Snart purred, finally tumbling down into bed with him, kissing slowly down the side of his neck. "Always in such a damn hurry..."

"Please," Barry whined, gasping when Snart playfully bit his nipple on his descent to move between his legs. 

Snart grinned, hooking his thumbs in Barry's boxers and wiggling them down, flinging them over his shoulder. He peppered Barry's long legs with open mouth kisses, eagerly sliding his tongue up between his cheeks until he moaned.

Barry went limp against the sheets, letting Snart wring out the most beautiful and shameless sounds from his lips. Snart's tongue was amazing, and God, his fingers, those nimble and lovely fingers now pressing inside of him were incredible.

Barry's toes were digging into the sheets, gasping pitifully, "You better stop or I'm gonna freakin' blow before you get it in me!"

Snart pouted, his tongue slipping inside one last time to make Barry squirm, grunting as he pulled himself up. 

Barry watched him pull out lube and an unopened box of condoms. He laughed when he saw Snart checking the date, asking, "Been a while?"

"Believe it or not," Snart chuckled as he got himself ready, "Some people kinda think I'm asshole."

Barry grinned, stretching out and parting his legs for Snart, teasing, "Really? You?"

"Shut up," Snart laughed, kissing Barry sweetly, his cock brushing against Barry's thigh. He settled down on his elbows, his lips never leaving his even when he began to push inside.

Barry had to tear himself away to pant, groaning loudly at the burn. He shifted his hips down, curling one of his legs around Snart's waist.

"Fuck, you feel good," Snart praised as he pushed a little deeper, "You're so fuckin' tight..." He couldn't resist a sly grin, breathlessly taunting, "Been a while?"

"Fuck you," Barry grunted, gasping as Snart gave him a particularly hard thrust. "Mmmmph."

Snart pulled in and out, making sure the slide of his cock was smooth, bowing his head down to grab Barry's lips in a passionate kiss once more.

Barry tried to hold on, tried to keep the kiss going, but Snart was soon moving inside him so beautifully that he couldn't stop moaning. It had been a while, much longer than he would dare admit, and Snart felt so damn good.

He was rolling his hips slowly, taking his time, figuring out which angles made Barry moan the loudest. He grabbed Barry's leg from around his waist and lifted it over his shoulder, thrusting even deeper. 

Barry let Snart control the pace for now, giving himself over completely. The burn had long faded, and all that was left was an intense ecstasy, building and building, aching for release.

It was slow, passionate, and their bodies worked together as if they had done this hundreds of time. But Barry wanted more, more friction, more anything, squirming beneath Snart's hips.

Barry moaned desperately, dragging his nails down Snart's back, begging, "Please, harder!"

Snart grunted, pushing himself up into his hands as his cock began to slam. He was watching Barry's face, concentrating on every little twitch, finding just the right way to make him come completely undone.

Barry's hand wrapped around himself, crying out as Snart worked him over even harder, chasing down their ends together. His thighs were trembling, the pressure down inside ready to burst, whispering, "Close."

"Come on," Snart grunted, giving Barry everything he had, "Come for me, baby."

Barry let himself go, crying out happily as he came, his trembling body bucking up against Snart's. The rush almost made his head hurt, groaning as Snart finished right after him.

Snart kissed him, sweaty and gasping, holding Barry close as the last shudders of bliss moved through them.

"Wow," Barry breathed, smiling as Snart flopped down beside him.

"Uh huh," Snart agreed, grinning as he tried to catch his breath. 

"So," Barry sighed, smirking contently, "Still think I'm gonna quit?"

"I think," Snart began thoughtfully, "That if you try to quit now, I won't fucking let you."

Barry laughed, rolling over to kiss Snart sweetly. "Damn right."

Snart got them both cleaned up, stumbling back into bed and pulling Barry possessively up to his chest. They were both exhausted and sated, falling asleep in moments. 

Barry awoke the next morning to Snart's leg hooked over his, the sound of soft snoring in his ear. He snuggled close, watching Snart sleep for a few moments.

Last night had definitely been full of surprises, and Barry had enjoyed every second of it. They were both off today, grateful that he had nowhere in particular to be.

Snart hadn't kicked him out of bed yet, but he didn't strike Barry as the kind of guy who liked to make breakfast. He didn't know what this meant for them, but he hoped it was good. 

He hoped it was the start of something special.

Barry slowly sat up, deciding to take his leave while he could, feeling around with his feet to find his pants.

"Hey," Snart murmured groggily, awake now and reaching for Barry's hand.

Barry blinked in surprise, smiling down at him. "Hey, yourself."

"Running away already?" Snart asked, smirking.

"I just, uhm, well, you know," Barry stammered, blushing faintly. "I'd rather leave before you have the chance to boot me. But I really, really had fun last night."

"Me, too," Snart said, smiling softly.

"Uhm... so..." Barry fidgeted awkwardly. He didn't really want to leave now. "I guess..."

"Come on," Snart grumbled, sensing his indecision and tugging Barry back into bed with him, "Stay. I'll even make you pancakes."

Barry grinned and snuggled right back in Snart's arms. He couldn't possibly refuse an offer like that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mean........do you really think we were going to leave out a juicy sex scene after all of that tension between those two!!!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Snart did indeed make pancakes, letting Barry borrow a pair of his pajama pants to lounge around in. He watched Snart cook from the sofa, sipping a cup of coffee, chirping, "So." 

"So," Snart echoed, flipping the pan with a smirk. 

"Thank you." 

"For?" 

"Talking, the drinks..." Barry blushed, setting his coffee down. 

"The sex?" Snart interjected, winking playfully. 

"That, too," Barry said, hiding his face in his hands. "I don't normally... you know." 

"Go home with amazingly charismatic co-workers?" Snart suggested. 

"Something like that," Barry mumbled through his fingers. 

Snart finished cooking, plating the pancakes and bringing them to couch. He sat down next to Barry, prying his hands away and kissing him softly. "I don't regret a thing," he assured him, "I hope you don't." 

"No," Barry said, shaking his head. "I just..." He wasn't sure how to say it. 

"Let me guess," Snart purred confidently, "You're wondering what this means. Was this a bad decision, are we dating now, will this happen again..." 

"All of that." 

"Well, I'm always a bad decision, but I'm a lot of fun," Snart said with a laugh, "We're only dating if you want to be exclusive, and yes, this is definitely going to happen again. Hopefully often." 

Barry grinned between bites of pancakes, teasing, "Hey, you keep cooking like this, I'll keep coming back." 

"If that's all it takes, I'll cook for you every day," Snart promised. 

"Hmm. So, are you gonna ask me out?" Barry asked coyly, licking some syrup off his fork. 

Snart snorted, laughing, "Would you like me to pass you a little note with hearts on it? Ask you to be my boyfriend and leave you a place to check 'yes' or 'no'?" 

"Would be nice," Barry replied with a playful smirk. "Maybe with some glitter." 

"Fresh out," Snart said, "But I do have some dry macaroni noodles. Let me see what I can whip up for you." 

"Seriously," Barry giggled, "Do you want... you know. To go out with me." 

"Happily," Snart said smoothly, "But, if you think I'm going to take it easy on you at work because we're dating, you're very mistaken." 

"I wouldn't expect anything less," Barry laughed. 

Snart finished eating, smirking. "Can't be giving you preferential treatment and all. Palmer and Ramon might get upset." 

"Oh, that reminds me!" Barry grinned, handing his empty plate to Snart. "I'm supposed to put in a good word with you for Ramon." 

"Ramon?" Snart blinked, taking the dishes back into the kitchen. "For what?" 

"Figured it was obvious," Barry said, stretching out on the sofa, "He likes your sister." 

"Lisa?" Snart made a face. "Wait, him and Palmer aren't together?" 

"Huh? No!" Barry laughed. "They're just roommates. Ramon is straight, and Palmer has a ginormous crush on your buddy, Mick." 

"Mick?" Snart snorted, coming back from the kitchen and staring incredulously at Barry. "Mick Rory?" 

"Yup!" Barry replied, moving his legs so Snart could sit down, setting them in his lap. "I probably shouldn't even tell you this, but that's why Ramon always plays that song from _Dirty Dancing_. Ray had this dream where the song comes on at the bar, and Mick asks him to dance." 

"I thought it was their song," Snart cackled, "I did wonder why Ramon was always putting it on." 

"Now you know," Barry giggled, "But don't you dare say anything to Ray. He's really shy about it." 

"I won't," Snart said, running his hand over Barry's knee. 

"So," Barry said, smiling contently, "How about tonight you take me on a real date? Let me see you all dressed up?" 

"Mmm, can't," Snart said with a shake of his head, "Going out with the crew to celebrate." 

"Oh." 

"You can tag along," Snart chuckled, patting Barry's leg to soothe his pouty expression. 

"What are you guys celebrating?" 

"Sara had some pesky police trouble, and they're dropping the charges." 

"What kind of charges?" Barry blinked. 

"Assault. She socked a police officer on a call for making some less than gentlemanly comments about her rear." 

"Good for her!" Barry laughed. 

"How about I take you out tomorrow night, hmm?" Snart asked, his thumb tracing little circles along Barry's thigh. 

"Perfect," Barry agreed, "But, uhm... what do you wanna do now, Snart?" He smiled innocently. "I mean, we probably have a lot of time to kill before we go out tonight." 

"I have a few ideas," Snart said with a smirk, "And you know, you can call me Len. Seeing as how we're dating." 

"All right, _Lennn_ ," Barry teased, sitting up and pulling him into a sweet kiss, "How about you show me some of these ideas you have?" 

"Gladly." 

The first idea was another round passionate sex right there on the couch, Len pushing the limits of Barry's flexibility and nearly folding him in half. Sated and sticky, Len pulled Barry into the shower to clean up. 

They kissed long and slow, holding each other close under the water even when it started to get cold. Once it started reaching freezing temperatures, they finally soaped up and rinsed off quickly, laughing as they hurried to get dry and warm again. 

They shared a cab back to the bar to get their cars, promising to meet there again later that evening for Sara's party. It was almost impossible to pry himself away from Len's lips, but Barry finally managed. 

"Tonight," Len promised, giving him one last kiss before departing, smiling brightly. 

God, his smile was amazing. 

"Tonight," Barry sighed dreamily, floating over to his car to drive home. 

He collapsed promptly in his bed, smelling of Len's shampoo and his body sore in the most pleasant way. 

Not bad for his first week, not bad at all. 

Barry busied himself with laundry and running a few errands, losing track of the time and rushing back to his apartment to get ready. Considering they were meeting back at the bar, he opted for a much more casual look than he had last time. 

He raced through traffic to get downtown, flying through the door of Saints and Sinners and tripping promptly over his own feet. He fell nearly flat on his face, grinning sheepishly from the floor when everyone in the bar turned to look at him. 

Palmer and Ramon were here at their usual spot, both cringing in sympathy for his embarrassing tumble. 

"Just had to make an entrance, huh?" Len teased as he walked over, helping Barry up to his feet and giving him a quick kiss. 

Barry could feel Ramon and Palmer staring at him now in complete shock, blushing a brilliant shade of red. "Yeah, exactly," he squeaked, "I totally meant to do that." 

"Come on," Len urged gently, guiding him over to the bar where Sara, Mick, and several others were already taking shots. "This is Barry. Barry, this is everybody." 

Sara and Mick looked ready to pounce and eat Barry alive, Sara the first to speak as she laughed, "Your fresh young medic, right? The one with legs for days?" 

"This is the one," Len replied, not the least bit put off by her teasing. 

Barry blushed, realizing Len had talked about him to his friends, stammering, "H-hi, it's nice to meet you." 

"Pleasure," Sara purred, shaking Barry's hand and immediately giving him a shot. 

Mick smirked, clinking their glasses together as he chuckled, "Drink up, Flash." 

Barry downed the shot with them all, wincing at the burn. "Oof, thanks." 

Len smiled, glancing over to where Palmer and Ramon were still staring at them. "Think your little buddies are going to need emergency assistance soon. Palmer appears to be hyperventilating." 

"Lemme go say hi before their eyes pop out of their heads," Barry laughed, kissing Len's cheek. 

"I'll go with you," Len purred, "I am not missing this conversation." 

Barry was a little nervous when he approached Palmer and Ramon, smiling shyly as he greeted them, "Uhh... hey, guys!" 

"Hello, pod person Allen," Ramon said suspiciously, eyeing Barry over the top of his beer bottle. "Or is it pod person Snart? Are you both pod people?" 

Palmer said nothing, only gawking at them skeptically and panting, "Wait, wait. This is real. This is really happening." 

"Really," Barry confirmed, smiling brightly when Len slid his arm around his waist. 

"Does this mean Captain Cold's reign of terror is at an end?" Ramon gasped, slapping his hands on the table. "Has he finally been defeated?" 

"My reign of terror is alive and well," Len assured him as he sat down directly across from Ramon, "And it will be waiting for all of you come Monday morning. Even Allen." 

"That's just awesome," Ramon squeaked. 

Barry sat down between them, shaking his head as he said, "It's gonna be fine. We're gonna figure it out, I promise." 

Ramon glared, drawling, "Now I know how Han felt when Lando betrayed him to the Empire..." 

"No!" Barry protested, grateful when their waitress brought them all a round of beer. "We're still friends, come on. Yes, Len and I are dating now-" 

"Uh... 'Len'?" Ramon made a face, while Len laughed softly, clearly enjoying himself. 

"Please," Barry pleaded, "It just sort of happened, and it's, well, we're happy. It's still new and weird, but I really want to make this work." 

"Okay," Ramon said at long last, sipping thoughtfully at his beer as he eyed Len. "But let's get one thing clear, Captain Cold. You mess around with Allen and break his heart, I will send you into the next dimension." 

Len quirked an eyebrow. 

"Was that... was that a really bad Dragon Ball Z threat?" Barry giggled. 

"Damn right it was," Ramon grinned. 

"The Time of My Life" began to play suddenly, and Ray hung his head, groaning loudly in frustration. 

"Hey! I didn't play it that time!" Ramon giggled. "I've been sitting here, talking to you guys! Trying to defend Allen's honor!" 

"I hate that song now," Palmer whined pitifully, "It was a stupid dream, it was a stupid idea, and I should have never ever told you about it." 

Ramon grinned, saying, "Hey, you never know! Look, Allen melted all that ice off Captain's Cold dick, maybe you can snag yourself a fireman! You just gotta put positive energy out there in the universe, good vibes, and..." 

"And what?" Ray mumbled miserably. 

Ramon had trailed off because he was too busy gawking at the huge figure of Mick Rory standing next to their table. "Uh..." 

Ray finally looked up and nearly jumped out of his skin, staring dumbly up at Mick, his face turning a spectacularly impressive shade of red. 

"Wanna dance?" Mick asked gruffly, his eyes never leaving Ray's. 

Ray stood up slowly, smiling dumbly, reaching out for Mick's hand as he stammered, "Y-yeah, I would love to." 

Barry watched in amazement as Mick led Ray over to a small open space by the bar and began to slow dance with him. Patrick Swayze he was definitely not, but Ray was absolutely glowing. 

Ramon shook his head, standing up as he laughed, "Now I've freakin' seen everything. Wow. Today is like, like... a really weird _Twilight Zone_ episode. I'll be right back. All this excitement has gone right to my bladder." 

Barry waited for Ramon to head off to the restrooms and quickly threw Len an accusing look, pouting, "You told Mick? You promised you wouldn't say anything!" 

"No," Len said smoothly, smirking slyly, "I only promised I wouldn't say anything to Palmer. You didn't ask me not to tell Mick. Besides, I happened to know that Mick has had a little crush on Palmer ever since he saw him at this house fire we all got sent to three months ago." 

"Why didn't he ever ask him out?" Barry wondered. Mick didn't exactly strike him as a shy sort of fellow. 

"He thought Palmer and Ramon were an item," Len said, shrugging lightly. "Until you told me, I had the same idea, remember? So, I took it upon myself to share all this new information." 

"Really?" Barry laughed brightly. "Playing matchmaker, huh?" 

"Just helping out a friend," Len said simply. 

Barry grinned, watching Ray and Mick dancing away. Even when the song was over, they remained just as they were, Ray talking excitedly while Mick smiled. 

They were adorable. 

"Well, what about Ramon?" Barry asked, taking a sip of his beer. "Any hope for him and your sister?" 

Len made a face. 

"That a no?" 

"It's a very resistant maybe," Len replied, rolling his eyes. "Very resistant." 

So resistant that it took another month before Len agreed to finally let Ramon go out with his sister. He threatened to supervise the date until Barry convinced him to leave them be, and Ramon had never been so happy. The date went very well judging by the hickeys Ramon was trying to hide the next day, grinning like a fool. 

Len was not pleased, but it was obvious that Lisa and Ramon were completely smitten with each other, so he tolerate it as best as he could. 

They were engaged within six months, Len left banging his head against the wall that he and Ramon were actually going to be family. 

There were several shovel talks and a variety of very creative threats before the wedding, but truthfully Len did like Ramon. Barry knew that Len would sooner die than ever admit it, but he loved how well he treated his sister. 

Len was proud to walk Lisa down the aisle when the big day finally arrived, Barry waiting anxiously down beside Ramon as one of his groomsmen. Palmer was his best man and was blushing furiously from all the obscene gestures Mick kept making from his place in the pews. 

They'd had their stumbles, but Mick and Palmer were madly in love. Ramon was moving in with Lisa and while Mick had declined Palmer's offer to live together, he spent almost every night over there. Mick was protective of him, showered him with affection when he thought no one was looking, and Barry was happy for both of them. 

Once Lisa and Ramon were officially wed and had shared their first dance together, the floor flooded with people to congratulate them and join in. While he was still a far cry from Patrick Swayze, it was obvious that Mick had been taking dance lessons for his sweet boyfriend. Barry promptly dragged Len with him, curling his arms around his neck. 

Len rolled his eyes, but held Barry's waist, rocking slowly to the music with him. 

Barry had been the first one to suggest they move in together, the first one to tease about the names of their future children, but Len was the first to say 'I love you'. While any children were still a few years away, they did decide to move in together only after a few weeks and Barry had never been happier. 

Len was still hard to get along with at work, but he also never stopped encouraging and pushing Barry to be better. There were bad days, many of them, but Len refused to let Barry give up. Even when a few calls pushed Barry to his very limits, Len wouldn't let him quit. He held him when he cried, hugged him close every night, and gave him the strength to keep going. 

Barry loved him, totally and completely, and there was no one else he could imagine spending the rest of his life with. 

"Mmmm," Len hummed, watching his sister and Ramon carefully, "I give it a year before they're divorced." 

Yup. No one else in the whole world. 

"You're such a freakin' jerk," Barry groaned loudly, laughing when Len pulled him in for a tender kiss. 

"Yeah, well," Len mumbled over his lips, "I'm your jerk, so, guess you're just gonna have to deal with it." 

"Guess so," Barry sighed happily. "Probably forever. Me and you, Captain Cold." 

Len smirked smugly, teasing, "Only if you're lucky, Flash."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading our little story! We appreciate the kudos and comments and all the love so very much! We had a ton of fun working on this together! <3
> 
> Don't worry, this isn't the end of this AU! We'll be back with a sequel! :D

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Getting To You In A Flash](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14695410) by [kotokoshka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kotokoshka/pseuds/kotokoshka)
  * [ART for: Getting To You In A Flash](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14704035) by [cassandrasfisher](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cassandrasfisher/pseuds/cassandrasfisher)




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